Automatic telephone switch



June 16, 1925,

c. D. RICHARD AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SWITCH med sept. v, 1922 NWS Q Patented June 16, 1925.

g 1,542,414 PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES D. RICHARD, OF WEST NEW BRIGHTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW Y OBK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK. f

' AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE, SWITCH.

Appnuon mea september 7, 1922. serial No. 586,617.

Thls invention is particularly adaptable to a switching s'ystemofl the t pe disclosed .in the patent` to Charles L. oodrum and John N.'Reynolds, No. 1,515,735issued Nov. 18,1924, but Vit will be apparent toy those skilled in the art that the invention may be 'applied equally well to perform other switching functions.

The object of this invention is yto provide a switchingr mechanism in'which the oper- 95 ating parts are made interchangeable and so constructed that they may be readily removed or assembled on the switch frame without' necessitating any subsequent adjustment. y

A feature of the invention lresides more i particularly in the provision of individual supporting members for each set of passive wire conductors. Guides are provided in said support forguiding the camming cards whereby the active contacts aremoved into engagement with their associatedpassive contacts in a' positive Vmanner and whereby each card may be readily moved from its guide independently ofthe other cards.

It is thought that the invention will be best understood from the following detailed description, reference being had to they accompanying ldrawings in which Fig. 1 is a partial assembly view of said switch showinga selective bar in operated position. Fig. 2 is a top view thereof. Fig. 3fisja side view of Fig. 1,*showing the upper set of active conductors in contacting engagement with a set of passive conductors. l.

The structure shown consists in general of a plurality of banks of conductors which comprise the sets of wires 1, 2, 3, 4 and' 6, 7v 8, referred to hereinafter as passive eo together with vertical rows of sets of yactive wire conductors 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13, 14, 15, 16, etc., and operating mechanism for selectively moving the various sets of active contact wires into engagement with their associated passive conductors.

The structure may be of any desired width and height to accommodate as many vertical rows of active contact sets and as many sets per row as may be required.

The active contact wires 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13, 14, 15, 16 are arranged in vertical bars of insulation material 17 which-are held securely in the portion of the switch frame (not shown) by any suitable means.

Each set of active contact wires is provided with an operating card 18 of insulating material, having apertures 19, 20, 21 and 22 through which the active wires extend in juxtaposition to 'the passive conductors. The operating cards 18 are slidably arranged in guides in the shape of slots 23 cut at suitable intervals into the two laterally extending edges of each bank 36 and held in normal non-operated position therein by means of resilient supports 2,4 which, like the active contact wires, are embedded in the vertical bar 17. Each resilient support 24 extends through the bank into the lower aperture in the card 18 and is tensioned downwardly so as to normallyl hold the active contact wires out of engagement with their associated passive conductors. Each card 18 is provided at its upper portion with two laterally extending lugs 25 and 25 which are adapted to limit the downward movement of the card and active contact wires associated therewith.

Each bank comprises a plurality of channelmembers 36 with slots 23 for the cards. Each channel member carries at intervals' insulating strips-37 and 38 b etweenl which the passive conductors areclamped. The strips 37 and 38 are suitably held tothe channel member 36 as by screws 40. This makes it possible not only to replace onev set, of passive conductors without disturbing another set, but also any wire in the set may be removed without disturbing the other wires. y, i l

With eachV vertical row of active contact sets there" is` associated p a, vertical rotatable bar 26" which is prm'fidedI atene end with an armature 27 arranged toi be" attracted b an" electromagnet 28', whereby4 the' bar 26 1s rotated outot its normal position in response to each energization of said electromaajnet. 0n each vertical bar '26 there provided a number of relatively short arms 29 each associated with a cam BO.

lilith each set ot passive conductors l. 2. 3. it and (i. T. S. etc.. there is associated a horizontal rotatable har Si. each ot which is provided with an armature 352 and an electromagnet 3?. whereby the bar is rotated Jfrom normal to ott-normal position. Each horizontal bar is provided with a number oiE cams I'tl tor operating the cammino' cards Flach ot said cams is individuallv a:.-'sociaied with a set ot active contact wires t). l0. ll and l2. and a camming card 1S. Normally. the cams 3() are Ytree to move in a vertical path without engaging the cards 1S. lilfhen the vertical har 25 is rotated out ot its normal position bv electromagnet 28. the arms 29 carried therein' are moved into a position wherein they in tercept the path otl their associated cams 'tt as shown at in Figi. i). The continued movement ot' bar 3l results in rotating; the cam 30 and in lifting` the cammina' card iS so as to permit the active contact wires 9. l0. ll and l2 to engage the passive conductors l. 2. el. respectivelv. The operating; bar 3l. together with the cams 250 thereon. remain in their oil-normal position throughout the duration ot the connection. but t-he vertical bar 2G maj' be immediatelv restored to normal. The cam 3() in its operated position is moved bv bar 3l entirelyv clear ot its associated arm 29 so that anyv subsequent movement ot' the arm 29 is ineffective to disturb the connections alreadyv establishedy A springl 35 carried by bar 3l is provided tor returning' the cam 3() to normal position.

lVhat is claimed is:

l. In a switchingmechanism. sets oit` aetive contacts. an individuallv removable support. sets ot passive contacts arranged on said individually removable support and disposed coordinatehv to said active contacts. a canfiming; member tor each set ot' said acitive contacts. slidablv arranged in a pluralitv ot guiding' slots in said support. and a cam tor operativelv engagingY said member to eifectA intereneasement between said contacts at their crossing' point.

2. In a switching` mechanism. sets of active contacts arranged in rows on upright supports. sets ot passive contacts arranged on supports coordinate to said upright supports. a pluralitv ot camming members for said active contacts slidablj' arranged in said second mentioned supports. a cam associated with each set of said contacts. and means for selectively ojiierating` said cams to eiiiect interengagement between a set of active and passive contacts.

f3. ln a switching mechanism, sets ot passive contacts arranged on supports. sets ot active contacts associated therewith. a pluralitjv ot cammino members slidably arranged in said supports one for each setot said active contacts. a pluralityY ot cams for operating' said members. a bar Ytor selec tiveljyy causing said cams to move into operable relation with said members to ett'eet interencagement between a set ot said active and passive contacts, and resilient means tor returning said members trom operated to normal position.

lt. In a switching mechanism. active and passive contact sets. a selective mchanism therefor including an operating bar. a plnralitv ot arms carried bv said bar. a cam rotatably arranged on each ot said arms. another bar disposed outside ot the Zone of said contacts and at right angles to the tirst mentioned bar. a plurality ot' rigid members carried b v the second mentioned bar t'or operativelv emgap'iiicr said cams. a movement ot the second mentioned bar tollowed by a movement ot the lirst mentioned bar lieingr etl'ective to interenaage a set oi said active and passive contacts.

Y l'n a switching mechanism. active and passiveI contact sets. a camminfaT card tor each set ot said active contacts. an individual sul'iporting member tor each set oit said passive contacts. means in said supportino` member tor guidingr said card.

(S. In a switching mechanism. disengaged active and passive contacts. a can'iming card therefor. a cam. a projection extending therefrom t'or larisingr said cam to move into operable relation with said card. another projeetion extending angularly and in the oppositie direction from the first mentioned projection. a resilient member cooperatingT with the lastmentioned projection tor returning said cam from operated to normal position.

T. A. switch comprisingT sets of stationarv wire niultiples. individual horizontal supports jt'or said set-s ot wire multiples. sets ot movable contacts therefor arranged on vertical supports. a plurality ot operating members slidahlnv arranged in guiding slots on each ot said horizontal supports. and means' tor moving one ot said operating members in said guiding slots to establish a connection between intersecting sets of stationarjv wire multiples and movable contacts.

In witness whereof. l hereunto subscribe mv name this 1st day of September. A. D. 1922.

CHARLES D. RICHARD. 

